1980 Suzuki GS1000 Motorcycle

Description

Heading into the 1980s, Suzuki was covering plenty of bases. In 1979 the company offered the GS750G and GS850GT shaft-driven sports tourers in Japan, but many customers would have liked a 1.0-litre version. Then in 1980 came the GS1000G with more power and taller gearing. Suzuki invested heavily in developing a shaft drive that felt very similar to ride to a chain-drive motorcycle and many reviewers rated the GS1000G very high on this criterion. ‘It is actually the first shaft driven motorcycle we have ridden that feels like it was chain driven,’ said a Swedish magazine. A major advantage of chain-drive is lower maintenance costs. Despite being nominally a tourer rather than a sportsbike, the GS1000G was equipped with a special Kayaba front fork and rear shock absorbers. Twin 275mm front discs were big for the day. Maximum power from the double overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine was 66kW at 8500rpm.